290 The Endurance of Birds. 



advanced state o f incubation, proving that this bird stays in 

 the plains to nest and does not, as I thought, return to 

 the hills. The eggs were laid in a slight hollow, devoid 

 of any lining excepit a few pieces of straw. The nest sug- 

 gested that of a bird belonging to the Linilcolae, but the eggs 

 were of a long oval shape at both ends, and buff in ground, 

 spotted with large and small spots of light brown and red- 

 dish brown, with underlying markings of purple grey. 



The Endurance of Birds 



Bv Wesley T. Page, F.Z.S., Etc. 

 {Continued jroni page 2iSj. 



CoxuRES : 1 have kept the Black-headed (C. ncnday), Cactus (C. 

 cactorum). Golden-crowned (C. aureus), White-eared {Pyrrhura leucotis), 

 and Jendaya (C. jendaya). Of the above I liave possessed odd males 

 or single pairs only, a nd with the exception of the last named parted 

 with them after retaining them for periods of from two to four years. 

 I only got as far as eggs with the Golden-crowned and Cactus. I found 

 ^hem all indifferent to the worst weather our winters were capable of 

 inflicting apon then. 1 also found ihcm rather quarrelsome and interfering 

 with other Parrakeet^, and without exception they are most excellent wood 

 cutters, 



CoKDo:^ Bleu ; Vox many }-ears I did not keep these charming 

 birds owing to the reputation they bore for delicacy and from the desire 

 to have no part in encouraging the importation of a species which' so 

 speedily died in large numbers after reaching our shores. I first kept them, 

 owing to the kind gift of Dr. E. Hopkinson, of several pairs which he 

 had personally brought over, when coming home on leave, I found no 

 difficulty in establishing these and two pairs bred the same season in a 

 roomy, naturally planted aviary.' Put 1 lost most of the young and several 

 of the old birds too in experimenting with them during the winter--the result 

 of my experience i,: that during mild, but wet muggy winters those left 

 out invariably die, but that during a cold but dry winter under similar 

 conditions the majority survive and go to nest at the first sign of spring 

 weather the following season. I have had others since, which have confirmed the 

 above experience. Their longevity in the aviary varied from one to six 

 years — the average of twenty specimens being 4.32 years. 



Cow-BiRD. Bav-winged.— HaM' had but one pair of , this species, 

 which lived with me five years— during their fourth year with me an open 

 cup-shaped nest was built in a faggot of birch twigs, pi coarse and line 

 grass on a base of rootlets and twigs ; three eggs were laid, but after 



